Davit and means for operating the same.



w. B. CA'SWELL. v DAVIT AND MEANS {0R OPERATINGIHE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2h BIL I 1,258,31 6. Patentmi Mar. 5, 1918 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1-.

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, w. B. CASWELL. DAVlT AND MEANS FOR OPERATING THE SAME.

APPLICATION HLED FEB- 2h 19H.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented- Mm. 5, 1918.

WINFIELD B. CASWELL, F EAST ORANGE, NEW' JERSEY.

DAVIT AND SFOR OPERATING THE SAM-E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

Application filed February 21, 1917. Serial No. 150,075. g g p To (all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, VVINFIELD B. CASWELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at East Grange, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Davits and Means for Operating the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to davits for lifeboats and means for operating the same.

More particularly the invention relates to davits and means for operating the same from inboard position to outboard position and vice versa, comprising unitary means for actuating and controlling bot-h davits whereby the speedy operation of the life-boat under all serviceable-conditions at sea is insured and injury to the life-boat and persons therein is precluded.

In the preferred forms of the invention, the operating means for the d'avits are constructed and arranged to be placed into position without alteration or removal of the davits from theirrusual mounting and supports. In accordance with the preferred forms of the invention, the two davits are actuated and controlled by means of a. single crank, or equivalent, and the operating means for the respective davits are con structed and arranged to prevent faulty or improper movements of either during the operation of the other in the movement of the lifeboat into lowering position over the side of the ship. In such preferred forms of the invention, I employ a pawl or equivalent, attached to each davit and arrange a set of ratchet teeth or equivalent, for such pawls and actuate the sets of ratchet teeth by suitable actuating means. As one form of such actuating means I employ a single operating shaft controlled by the crank, and arrange suitable means, preferably worm gearing, for actuating the sets of ratchet teeth, the said pawls being, positioned in reversed relationship to one another, whereby one pawl only, and thereby one davit only, at a time is under actuation by the crank while the other pawl slips relative to its set of ratchet teeth and thereby the other davit is under indirect operation by the crank. Preferably, I arrange the pawls to be on the outboard sides of the respective davits when the latter are in full inboard position, in which case the pawlspoint towvard each other. When it is. desired to move a life-boat from outboard to inboard,

the pawls are then reversed in the positions respectively attained by them upon completion of the aforesaid movement of the life-boat to full outboard position.

The invention attains further advantages' in that the operating means of the davits are locked one against the other in all positions and held under control against either fore and aft or athwartship movement caused by lash.

Further features and objects of the invention will be more fully understood fro-m the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is atop plan View of the operatl ing means;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan diagrammatic view of one form of the invention showing the life boat at a stage of movement from inboard to outboard position; and

Fig. & shows the same in full outboard position.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the davit 1 is provided with a unit of'operating means arwith the life boat ranged and'constructed in correspondence to and the set bolt 8, the head 9 of whichserves Itoo retain the'pawlo in position on the said The set of ratchet teeth 10 is mountedin' proper relation to cooperate with the pawl and as one form of mounting means I have shown the ratchet teeth as an annulus cast integrally with the annulus worm gear 11'. v

The clearance between the inner periphery of the ratchet annulus 10 and the davit 1 enables the combined ratchet annulus IO and worm gear 11 to he slipped over the head or suspension end of the davit and along the davit until the proper position for th'e'coijnbined ratchet and worm annulusis attained.

If desired, the combined ratchet and'worm annulus, 10, 11, may be constructed as a split The support ring T'is fixed to the ring, connected and locked in position by bolts, similar to the support ring 4, as aforesaid.

In suitable relation to said worm gear 11 I provide means for rotating such gear and as a preferred form thereof I have shown the worm 13 fixed on the shaft 1 1, to which the crank 3 is also .afiixed. I prefer the worm gearing as shown, in that the same is self locking and self-adapted to distortion of parts incident to use.

Referring now to the davit 2, I have provided the similar support ring 15 fixed to the davit 2 by means of the key 16 and clamped by the bolts 17. I have also provided the annular set of ratchet teeth 18 driven by the worm gear 19, in turn driven by the worm 20 mounted on the operating shaft 14. The pawl 21 is pivotally carried on the boss of the support ring 15 in suitable relation to the set of ratchet teeth 18. Preferably, I provide for one or more eye joints 22 in the operating shaft let between. the driving means 13 of davit 1 and the driving means 30 of davit 2, whereby a limited extent of lostmotion is afforded between the respective driving means 13, 20, to compensate for distortion of the operating parts incident to use, temperature variations and the like. Preferably, the pawls 5, 21 are located on the outboard sides of the davits when the latter are in full inboard position, to thereby prevent tampering with the pawls by unauthorized persons.

Referring now to Fig. 3, as well as Figs. 1 and 2, we will assume the pawl 5 and the pawl 21 to be positioned as indicated in Fig. 2, 2'. 6., toward each other, and that the life boat 23 and davits 1, 2, are positioned full inboard of the ship. Upon application of power either manually, or under motive power, the operating shaft 14: is then rotated say in clockwise direction (as viewed facing the left hand crank 3 as shown in Fig. 1), whereupon the pawl 5 will be caught in a tooth of its ratchet annulus 10 and force the davit 1 to be directly actuated in counter-clockwise direction of rotation whereby the davit 1 will be turned toward outboard and the end 24 of boat 23 moved outboard. Such movement of davit 1 causes the davit 2 to be indirectly turned for a certain arc of movement in the same direction of rotation, by reason of the span cable 26 and also the suspension relationship of the boat 23 to both davits. Upon further outboard direct turning of davit 1, the davit 2 will then be indirectly turned in the opposite direction. of rotation, until the relative position of the davits indicated by Fig. 3 is attained, thereupon the direction of turning of the crank 3 is reversed, whereupon the davit 1 is now directly actuated in clockwise rotation, z'. 6., more and more outboard, and the davit 2 indirectly turned through the certain arc of movement first in one and then in the reverse direction of rotation, until both davits attain full outboard position, as indicated in Fig. 4:. Under normal conditions the approximate length of the said certain arc of rotation is about life-boat, will have been moved to their inboard position and point away from one another.

When it is desired to move the life-boat from outboard to inboard position, the pawls 5, 21 are each set manually or otherwise into their respective opposite positions, 2'. 6., into the relationship of pointing toward each other, whereupon the crank 3 is turned in either initial direction of rotation and subsequently in the'opposite direction of rotation, until full inboard position of the lifeboat, or davits, is attained.

In the above described form of the invention, the power is applied by means of a single device and unitary control of both davits is obtained at all times. Also, it will be noted that the mechanical means employed enables but a single sea-man to effectually move a life-boat filled to full capacity to lowering position under all conditions at sea possible for launching a lifeboat.

It will be noted that during the severalv stages of operation of the actuating mechanism, only one davit at any stage is under directactuation by the power applying. means while at such stage the other davitis indirectly operated but under full control of the power applying means.

Under conditions of a list of the ship, and either fore and aft or athwart-ship lashing, the davits are under control atall times, whether the life-boat is allowed to move under gravity with the list or actuated against the list. At all stages of the posi- .tions of the davits, one davit is locked against the other to prevent precipitate movement of the life-boat or faulty direction of turning of one davit relative to the other.

F or the purpose of providing compensating means for bending or distortion of the davits incident to use, I prefer to mount the worms 13, 20 on a plate 31 having a collar 32 loosely passing around each davit and fitted within the guides 33 of thebase 34 secured by bolts or otherwise to a suitable support, whereby compensation of any bend, or distortion of a davit is taken up by w. B. CASWELL. DAVlT AND MEANS FOR OPERATING THE SAME.

APPLICATION HLED FEB- 2h 19H.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented- Mm. 5, 1918.

operating said davits, said individual means comprising a pawl and an annular ratchet member having an inner opening materially greater than the cross sectional area of a davit, and common means for operating said individual means.

l5.-The combination With a plurality of clavits, of individual means for respectively actuating said davits, one of said individual means comprising a member providing free movement of said member for any desired extent at Will in one direction but direct actuation of a davit in the opposite direction, and common means for operating said individual means.

16. The combination With a plurality of davits, of individual means for respectively actuating said davits, each of said individual means comprising a member providing free movement of said member for any desired extent at Will in one direction but direct actuation of a davit in the opposite direction, and common means for operating said individual means.

17. The combination of a plurality of davits, of individual means for operating said davits, each of said means comprising a member providing free movement of a davit in one direction but positive actua tion in the same direction, and common means for operating said individual means.

'18. The combination of a plurality of davits, of individual means for operating Copies of this patent may be obtained for means for operating said supports, and common means for operating said individual means, said common means being rotative and efi'ectively operable at Will in either direction of rotation for moving said device continuously from one of said predetermined positions to another of said predetermined positions.

20. The combination of a plurality of spaced rotative supports, individual means for rotating said supports, each of said individual means comprising a member providing free movement of a support in one direction but positive actuation in the same direction, and common means for operating said individual means.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification this 15th day of February,"

' WINFIELD B. CASVVELL.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenta Washington, D. G. 

